Corn-sheller.



No. 655,946. Ratented Aug. 14, I900.

' H. A. ADAMS.

CORN SHELLEB.

(Application filed July 20, 1899.) No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 655,946. Patented Aug. I4, 1900.

H. A. ADAMS.

CORN SHELLER.

1 (Applicatioh mm? 20, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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.No. 655,946. Patented Aug. I4, I900.

' H. A. ADAMS.

CORN SHELLER.

(Application filed July 20 1899. 1

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

No. 655,946. Patented Aug. l4, I900. H. A: ADAMS.

CORN SHELLEB.

(Application flied July 20, 1899.]

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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UNITED STATES PATENT GFFrcZE.

HENRY A. ADAMS, OF SANDWICH, ILLINOIS.

CORN-SHELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 655,946, dated August14, 1900.

Application filed July 20,1899. Serial No. 724,439. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that LHENRY A. ADAMS, a citi: zen of the United States, anda resident of Sandwich, in the county of De Kalb and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gorn-Shellers, ofwhich the following is a Specification, and which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates particularly to what are commonly known aspicker-wheel corn-' ter fully described and which is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a detail plan view of thecornsheller. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is adetail of the exhaust-fan, and Fig. 5 is a detail plan section of a partof the machine.

The machine to which the invention applies is ordinarily mounted uponrunninggear, as shown in the drawings, and comprises a feeder 10, havingan elevating-carrier 11; shelling mechanism comprising a pickerwheel 12,a runner-wheel 13, a turning disk 14:, and other details which for thepurpose of this case it is not necessary to illustrate; a grain-riddle15; a grain-chute l6; reciprocating mechanism 17 for vibrating theriddle; a blower A and cob-rake 18 in the form of an endless carrier; asecond cob-rake 19, also in the form of an endless carrier and leadingupwardly from below the upper end of the rake 18, so that the materialdischarged from the latter falls upon it and a cob-stacker 20, receivingthe material as discharged from the cob-rake 19 and being supported bymeans of the Windlass 21.

Power to drive the machine is applied to the pulley 22, mounted upon ashaft 23, from which is driven, by means of beveled gears, a shaft 24,carrying a pulley 25, upon which runs a belt26, leading to the pulley27,mounted upon a shaft 28.

The further details of the operating mechanism of the machine need notbe here described, as they are well known in this type of machines anddo not pertain to the presat 29, and leading upwardly from the inclineor shoe 30 below the riddle 15 there is a floor 31, which is attached toand reciprocates with the riddle and its shoe. The inner end of thisfloor is spaced apart from the end of the riddle to allow the particlesof cob, dust, and other refuse which are not carried forward by theblast to drop through to the ground. The outer end of the reciprocatingfloor 31 is supported upon a suitable bearing, as the cross-bar 31*, andat its extreme end there is located a wall 32. The sides of the machineare walled in, so that all the dust driven forward by the blast from theblower A is concentrated near the cob-discharging end of the machine.side of this end of the machine there is placed an exhaust-fan, the caseofwhich is shown at 33, and the eye 34 of this fan is open directly tothe chamber into which the dust has been concentrated, as abovedescribed, and is elongated vertically, so as to extend above and belowthe cob-rake 19. This fan is driven by the shaft 28, and its suction issufficient to entirely withdraw the accumulated dust and the loose husksfrom among the cobs, and in addition to this function it thoroughlyagitates and overturns any of the husks which may be present upon thecob-rake 19, whether they be loose or attached to the cobs, and therebyliberates any grain which may have found lodgme-nt among them andpermits it to fall through the cob-rake and then back through the riddle15 and to the chute 16. This action is the more efficient because thesuction is applied to the material as it falls from the rake 18 to therake 19.

It is the present practice of corn-handlers At one to send the ears tothe sheller but partially denuded of their husks. This practice hasgrown to such proportions that it is not uncommon for the husker to dobut little more than loosen up the husk, and for this reason it hasbecome more difficult for shelling-machines to separate out the grain,although it may have been entirely loosened from the cob.

The use of corncobs for fuel has become very general in some parts ofthe country and is becoming more and more prevalent. The value of suchfuel is greatly augmented when it is not only entirely freed from dust,but when it is also free from the husks, while the latter have amaterial value for fodder.

By the improvement in shellers as herein described all of the grain issaved, the cobs are thoroughly cleaned, and the husks eliminated.Furthermore, the dust is conveyed away through the spout 35, leadingfrom the exhaust-fan, and discharged at any suitable distance anddirection from the sheller, so that the operators are entirely relievedfrom annoyance by it.

While I have shown in the drawings a picker-wheel sheller, theimprovements are applicable to other forms, as the particular kind ofshelling mechanism is not material to its action.

The reciprocating floor-plate 31 is triangular in form, and the wall 32is oblique as to the machine, so that it serves as a guide for the blasttoward the eye of the exhaust fan.

I claim as my invention 1. In a corn-sheller, the combination withshelling mechanism, cob-carrier and grainreceiver, of a blower adaptedto drive a current of air through the grain falling from the shellingmechanism and in the direction of advance movement of the cob-carrier,and a suction-fan so located as to apply draft laterally to the passagethrough which the cobs are discharged.

2. In a corn-sheller, the combination with shelling mechanism,acob-carrier and a grainreceiver, of a blower adapted to drive a currentof air through the grain falling from the shelling mechanism and in thedirection of advance movement of the cob-carrier, and a.

suction-fan so located as to apply draft laterally to the passagethrough which the aircurrent is driven and the cobs conveyed.

3. In a corn-sheller, in combination, shelling mechanism,grain-receiver, a cob-carrier leading from below the shelling mechanism,a second cob-carrier leading from below the delivery end of thefirst-mentioned cob-carrier, a suction-fan arranged to apply draftlaterally at the point of discharge from the one cob-carrier to theother.

4:. In a corn-sheller, in combination with a case having a grain-chuteand cob-discharge orifice, and with shelling mechanism, a cob carrierleading from below the shelling mechanism, a second cob-carrier leadingfrom below the discharge end of the first-mentioned cob-carrier to thecob-discharge orifice, and a blower arranged to drive an air-currentacross the passage from the shelling mechanism to the chute, and towardthe cob-discharge orifice, all of such parts being inclosed within thecase; of an exhaust-fan having its eye opening through the side of thecase and to the passage through which the second cobcarrier is led.

5. In a corn-sheller, in combination, a case having a cob-dischargeorifice, shelling and conveying mechanism within the case, one conveyerleading to the cob-discharge orifice, a blower adapted to drive anaircurrent through the case and toward the cob-dis charge orifice, anexhaust-fan adapted to ap* ply draft laterally to the passage throughwhich the named conveyer leads, its eye extending above and below suchconveyer.

6. In a corn-sheller, in combination, shelling mechanism, a riddle forreceiving the shelled grain, a blower for throwing a blast of air acrossthe riddle, a chamber for receiving such blast after it crosses theriddle, the floor of such chamber being inclined upwardly from theriddle, mechanism for causing the reciprocation of the inclined floor,and a suction-fan having its eye open to such chamber.

7. In a corn-sheller, in combination, a case, an exhaust-fan forwithdrawing the dust from the case, an inclined reciprocating plateleading to the eye of the fan, and a riddle adjacent to the foot of theplate but spaced apart therefrom to provide an orifice for the escape ofmaterial not carried out by the fan.

8. In a corn-sheller, in combination, a case, an exhaust-fan forwithdrawing the dust from the case, an inclined reciprocating plateleading to the eye of the fan, a riddle adjacent to the foot of theplate but spaced apart therefrom to provide an orifice for the escape ofmaterial not carried out by the fan, and a blower arranged to drive anair-current across the riddle and toward the inclined plate.

9. In a corn-sheller, in combination, a case, an exhaust-fan forwithdrawing the dust from the case, a reciprocating riddle, and aninclincd plate attached to the riddle so as to reciprocate therewith andleading therefrom to the eye of the fan.

HENRY A. ADAMS.

WVitnesses:

PAUL CARPENTER, LoUIs K. GILLSON.

